Alone
by aprms
Summary: AU. Jess is alone for New Years and desperate to feel something. She finds it in the mysterious man at the back of the room, drowning his sorrows in whiskey. His name is Nick, and he likes to write. Now a multichapter!
1. Chapter 1

**I saw something somewhere about an AU fic where Nick and Jess have never met, and meet for the first time on New Year's. I really wanted to write it, but my fingers just said ah hell no and took me down this strange, sexy route I wasn't planning on at ALL. But I like how it turned out. This is my first M fic, so I hope you guys like it!**

**Thank you Ztofan! You're the best :D**

Alone

"ALONE. YES, THAT'S THE KEY WORD, THE MOST AWFUL WORD IN THE ENGLISH TONGUE. MURDER DOESN'T HOLD A CANDLE TO IT AND HELL IS ONLY A POOR SYNONYM."

The quote was Stephen King, she was sure. She had read _Salem's Lot_ about a year ago, nestled in the corner of her window seat, bare feet tucked under a soft blanket. She could remember the way the sunlight slanted across the pages, dust rising from the paper into beams of golden light as she turned each page carefully, savoring every word. She hadn't been alone then. She'd been happy.

Maybe that wasn't strictly true, maybe she had only thought she was happy. Love made people blind after all, and she loved Spencer the way she loved most things – unwaveringly, passionately, unquestioningly. Naively.

Now she was alone. Years and years of throwing herself into a doomed relationship had left her exhausted, and all she wanted was a sign that it was all worth it, because to her, in this moment, as she watched people around her start the countdown to New Year, it wasn't. Nothing was worth the disappointment of watching the life she had built for herself crumble around her.

So here she was in a bar, waiting for Cece to get another round of drinks, trying to forget that her life was pretty messed up right now. She wasn't depressed about it, or even angry, she was just…sad. A little empty. What a waste of time falling in love could be. She shook the ice around in her glass as people counted down the last few seconds. What was the point of celebrating New Year's again? She couldn't remember. Raising her tumbler and draining the last of whatever strong alcohol Cece had given her, she thought back to what she and Spencer used to do on New Year's Eve. She couldn't remember, so it couldn't have been that interesting.

Glancing around her, she noted that everyone seemed pretty drunk and rosy with the promise that this year was going to be better. They were going to be thinner, richer, better versions of themselves. Because isn't that what people tell themselves at this time of year, after one too many glasses of pink wine? 2014 will be different. I'm going to start making changes. I have resolutions. Jess's resolution this year was to figure out what the hell she was doing with her goddamn life.

Sighing through her nose as the room exploded with noise, people hugging and kissing and clinking their glasses, Jess turned and cast her eyes behind her, to the back of the room. She was looking for an empty space there, to rest her head and close her eyes and pretend it was because of the alcohol and not the ache in her chest as couples pushed in on her from all sides. A couple of good-looking guys had given her what she assumed was 'the look' these days, but she had no interest in their games. She didn't want to feign attraction for a quick fumble in the dark with someone who she knew wouldn't satisfy her. She wanted something real, something she had never even felt with Spencer, and she wasn't going to find it in this dingy bar. The stench of desperation in the air was tangible – how silly of these people to assume giving themselves to a stranger on the first night of the start of their journey to self-improvement was going to make it easier, or seem within reach. They were going to wake up tomorrow with sore heads, bruised egos and unfulfilled hearts. Jess knew that better than anyone.

Instead of finding a place to escape to, she found a person. He was leaning up against the wall, whiskey in hand, eyebrows furrowed as he observed people around him with an expression on his face that read _what a bunch of fucking morons_. Once she noticed him, he was all she could see. The room blurred around him as she stared. He was her. Sad, lonely, a tiny bit bitter. She was looking at herself.

Turning the edges of his mouth downwards in a deep frown, he took another swig of his drink, tearing his eyes away from the group dancing and celebrating near him. Jess made no effort to look away when his eyes met hers. The alcohol had made its way deep into her veins, numbing her inhibitions and turning her into someone else. Tonight, she wasn't Jessica Day, and that was fine with her.

He slowly lowered the glass from his mouth, drawing his bottom lip under his tongue as he licked the remnants of whiskey from it. Her own lips parted a little, and to her surprise she found herself breathing ever so slightly harder. Whoever this stranger was, he wasn't like the others. He didn't make her feel the way those other men had. He made her feel constricted, a deep burning sensation spreading outwards from her stomach that she soon identified as lust. He still had his eyes on her, like he was trying to figure her out. Feeling an overwhelming sense of boldness take over her entire body, she flicked her own tongue over her lips, her eyes never leaving his. There was no doubt in the way she did it. It was a _come over here and fuck me_ type of lick. Jessica Day would have been appalled. Whoever she was tonight wasn't.

The man pushed away from the wall, making his way over to her. Excitement sparked deep within her, and she realized this was the most she had let herself feel since the day Spencer had cheated. She felt alive. She wasn't like those other women in the bar. She didn't want to waste her night with something average and disappointing. She wanted someone to make her forget herself in the heat of their embrace, and if the fire ignited between their gazes was anything to go on, the man approaching her could be exactly what she needed.

As he drew closer, she could make out the thin shadow of stubble around his mouth, the color of his eyes, the worn material of his flannel shirt. Not her type at all, and yet…so unbelievably sexy to her in that moment. The way he seemed to be drinking her in made her feel wanted, and not in the cheap way she had been feeling every time someone else looked at her. His gaze was penetrating, like he could see exactly how broken she was and wanted to fix her. Well, she wanted to be fixed. She wanted to be fixed all night, multiple times.

He stopped in front of her, placing his glass on the table next to them. In any other situation this would have felt wrong to her, slutty even, to give herself away so easily. In this instant she regretted nothing. They were both lonely and heartbroken, looking for a distraction even if it was only for one night. They had just so happened to end up in the same bar, at the same time, and Jess was damn sure not gonna let the opportunity pass her by. She looked at his mouth again, wanting it everywhere so much that it shocked her and made her inhale sharply, her chest heaving under her low cut dress. He noticed, the tips of his fingers twitching. Jess felt an air of satisfaction when she saw he was practically aching to touch her.

The tension between them was disorienting.

"I'm Nick," he eventually said, holding out his hand to shake. Jess wanted to laugh at his effort to remain a gentleman even though it was painfully obvious he wanted to push her up against the wall and do unspeakable things to her. She shook the offered hand.

"I'm Jess. I don't want to talk, Nick."

"I don't want to talk either."

They came together, two lonely hearts wanting so desperately to feel something on New Year's Eve, Jess breathing him in as his mouth met hers and they clutched at each other, the tang of alcohol in the air between them. Nick's hands were rubbing her arms and then her back and then she was fairly sure they were in places they shouldn't be in a public area, and within minutes they were leaving, Jess' coat slung over Nick's arm as they piled into the back of a cab, unable to keep their hands off each other. For a painful ten minutes they tried to control themselves, Nick placing a hot trail of kisses along her neck while Jess moaned and refused to acknowledge the angry glare from the driver in the rear view mirror.

And then finally they were at his place, and it was a fumble for the elevator button, keys, locks, doors. Mouths colliding, tongues clashing. She dug her fingernails into his shoulders as her back hit the wall by his apartment door, his body pushing into hers. He raised her hands above her head and pressed them to the cool surface, sinking his teeth gently into her bottom lip until she gasped with pleasure. This was like nothing she had ever felt before. Desire pulsated between her legs as he threaded his fingers through hers, still trapping them against the wall and teasing her with his teeth. She wanted him so bad she was actually throbbing with need. "Nick," she moaned, trying to push him off her when he finally let go, placing his hands either side of her head instead. "I want to go inside. Please, I want to do this now."

He pulled away to look at her, eyes dark with want. "Sure, okay," he rasped, patting down his pockets for the keys to his apartment. Impatient, Jess watched him take them out and place them unsteadily into the lock. As soon as the door started to swing open he turned and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her forcefully with him into the apartment and shutting the door behind her, pushing her up against it. His kisses were hot and frenzied as Jess started to undress him, first ridding him of his coat and then moving her hands to his belt. Foreplay had never been this feverish for her before, and she loved it. She hadn't even spared a thought for Cece all this time, and pushed the thought immediately from her mind when it popped up. She could worry about her, about _everything_, when this was done. Everything could wait until she knew what it felt like to have Nick inside her, to be consumed with the feeling of him.

Nick stooped low and grabbed her thighs, lifting her clean off the ground and placing her roughly on the table by the door. Wasting no time, he slid his hands upwards until her dress was bunched high around her waist, her panties on display. Cool air hit her and she sucked in a breath, gripping the hair at the back of his head and tugging his face closer to hers, ignoring his small gasp of pain and kissing him fiercely until he was standing between her legs, hands tangled in her hair, breath warming her cheeks when they came up briefly for air, leaning into each other. "I wanna fuck you so bad Jess," he panted against her skin, making her legs start to shake.

"I know," she replied, scraping his scalp lightly as he groaned and closed his eyes, tilting his head back into her touch. "Me too."

"No, I mean…" he struggled to find what he was trying to say as she continued to scratch his skin, running her fingernails down his neck to his chest. "In…in my bed. Let me take you to bed."

Silently, she nodded, sliding her arms around his neck as he picked her up. She hoped Nick was as good at sex as he was at everything that came beforehand, because if that was the case she was ready for the world around her to shatter.

Collapsing on to his bed, they made short work of each other's clothes, tugging and ripping impatiently at one another. Jess didn't care when a button pinged off his shirt. She wasn't there to make friends, she was there to sleep with him. Hypersensitive to his touch, she craved more of his hands on her bare stomach, legs, and where she'd wanted him since he'd licked that drop of whiskey from his lips.

"I want you." She found herself saying into the darkness, before he was pushing her onto her back, nibbling at the soft flesh just above her panties, making her squirm.

"Where do you want me?" he breathed on to her skin.

"Everywhere," she panted, fisting her hands in his sheets. He pulled himself up to her chest, placing a few kisses in the space between her breasts, sliding a hand under her to raise her up and unclasp her bra. In one swift motion he had removed it, lowering his face to her and taking a nipple gently into his mouth. She gasped again, moving one hand to his hair and pushing up into him, desperate for more of anything he could give. Dropping his hand lower, he pushed the lace of her panties to one side without warning and pressed two fingers firmly against the bundle of nerves there. Jess arched her back, whimpering at the sudden sensation.

It had been too long since she had felt a real man's touch. Here, in this moment, she felt ravaged and wanton, her inhibitions abandoned. As she ran her hands appreciatively through his hair her quiet moans broke the silence, occasionally joined by one of Nick's when her obvious pleasure became too much for him to take. "God, Jess," he sighed into her neck when she let out a particularly breathy groan. "You're beautiful. I saw you in that bar, looking at me, and I had to fucking have you. I would have had you right there and then if there weren't so many people around. After you ran your tongue over those lips…I would have done anything you asked."

Jess squeezed her eyes shut, feeling herself grow wetter at his words. She wasn't used to talking in bed, but holy shit did she love it. This guy knew what to say to get her totally wound up.

She pulled his hand away from her, sitting up and swapping their positions so she was now on top, gazing down at his slightly awed expression. Heart thumping, she let tonight's alter ego take over, and she was dirty. "I'm asking you to make me come, Nick. That's all I want from you."

She didn't think she could be any more turned on as he reached for the boxers he had been wearing up until this point, pushing them down. She felt her breath momentarily catch in her chest when she cast her eyes over him and noted that he was going to be more than satisfactory for her needs. Without thinking Jess bucked forwards slightly, the skin of her thighs pressing up against the length of his shaft. "I can do that," he said, his voice scratchy. "Take those off and come here and I'll do that."

She slid off him, removing the only scrap of fabric she was still wearing as he threw open his bedside drawer and brought out a condom, nearly dropping it in his haste to put it on and be ready in time for her return. Excitement was pulsing through her as she resumed her previous position, guiding him to her entrance and sinking slowly, deliberately down on to him, closing her eyes and relishing the feel of someone so close to her again, making her feel whole. The last time she had had sex was months ago, and it had never been like this. The intensity between her and Nick was new and thrilling, and she wanted to savor every second of it as she started to move, going at her own pace as Nick's hands gripped her hips tightly, his heavy breathing filling her ears.

She rocked against him, over and over until she was mewling quietly and letting out breathy cries of pleasure, the pressure building within her as Nick met her thrust for thrust, rubbing the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip, her hardened nipples, her clit. His skin was rough and created a whole new range of sensations she had never been able to achieve with anyone, even herself. Then as he pressed down onto her at just the right angle it was there, and she was right at the edge, ready to let herself fall. "God I'm, Nick…I'm going to…"

She came apart with a final cry and a shuddering breath, Nick sitting up and catching her around the waist before she could collapse. He held her to his chest as she continued to move against him, riding out the waves of the longest orgasm she had ever experienced. As she came down from her high, she thought briefly about Spencer, and how she only now managed to realize that he had been an incredibly mediocre lover. Either way, as Nick rolled them over and started to thrust again, one hand steadying himself against the wall, she knew what was happening now was a rare thing, and she reached up to touch a hand to his face without thinking, overwhelmed by her powerful orgasm and this man she had just met.

Nick slowed, staring at her as she stroked a thumb over the roughness on his chin. He didn't stop, merely lowering his face to hers and kissing her gently, softly as he pushed deep inside her, both of them moaning into each other's mouths at the abrupt change in technique. Bodies slick with sweat, they remained forehead to forehead, Nick's breathing coming in shorter bursts as his climax drew closer.

"Jesus," he groaned, speeding up a little. "You're so wet Jess."

For some reason the way he choked out those words made her buck her hips, calling out his name softly into the darkened room. That seemed to tip Nick over the edge as he let out a final groan and flopped on top of her, spent. They lay wrapped up together, Jess stroking her fingers absentmindedly over his hair as they caught their breath, wondering what the hell had just happened.

* * *

The sound of the loft door opening and closing woke Jess from her sleep with a start. She strained her ears, realizing that Nick must not live alone, and then it dawned on her that she had stayed over. That hadn't been her intention. What she had wanted was temporary bliss, and he had given her all that and more. Now she had to go before her alter ego faded and she became Jess again, lonely, dispirited yet hopeful Jess, constantly on the lookout for love and thinking she had found it with every man she let close to her.

Clutching the sheet to her chest, she watched him sleep for a couple of seconds. He was very handsome. Jess sighed, reaching for her dress.

It was only as she was sneaking towards the door that she remembered it was New Year's Day. Casting one last glance over her shoulder, she let herself grin a little. It had been a long time since she had genuinely smiled. Maybe that could be her resolution – to start smiling again. "Hope you entered 2014 on as much of a high as I did, Nick," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

The mysterious man sleeping peacefully in the bed before her had no idea the extent to which he had helped her. He had found her at her rock bottom and taken her home, nursing her back to health with his kisses and caresses and mumbled words in the dark. Jess would forget his face eventually, and the memories of last night she would treasure and think about when she was with a less than satisfactory man would consist of a blank face she couldn't quite recall, but for now she knew every detail, and she briefly closed her eyes, burning the image into her brain.

She was glad Cece had taken her to that bar. She was glad she'd had one night with this extraordinary guy called Nick that she knew nothing and yet so much about. And, she thought as she crept out of the loft, heading for the lift and a cab home, he might have been exactly what she needed in order to move on and find the person she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with.


	2. Chapter 2

**You guys, what an amazing response, I love you all! Especially those of you who have PMed me and just been lovely, lovely people. I do think the NG fandom is one of the best ones out there for great authors and readers.**

**You wanted more, so I have decided to give you more. This is now a multichapter, and it's gonna get wild and free and sexehhh. :) Also, Ztofan helps me with ideas, American spelling, continuity, general life, and points out words that do not actually exist and therefore I have simply made up in my head. So she deserves all the cookies. She gave me cookie. Give her cookie.**

**Basketcase 16 coming...tomorrow? **

Alone: Chapter 2

Nick had woken up alone before, and he had been happy about it. He was the type of man who loved women, found them curious and soft and wonderful creatures, but Nick's problem was that he hated _people_. Especially his fucking ex-girlfriend.

So when Caroline had dumped him and he had gone out to countless bars, sleeping with gorgeous women and average women and sometimes just any woman, when any woman would do, he hadn't wanted them to stay. He wanted to screw them in the haze of alcohol and lust, and then when he woke up he wanted to drink coffee and eat bacon and remain in his boxers for the rest of the day, without some random pair of tired, make-up streaked eyes judging him with a lingering glance that said _thank god I don't have to spend the rest of the day with this messed up human being._

When he woke up on this particular morning and found his bed empty, it had felt wrong. The sheets were cold, the room was drained of color, his hangover was worse. Everything felt off-kilter. He was pretty sure he had fallen asleep in her arms, those nails raking gently, deliciously over his scalp as he drifted off. Her smell had enveloped him as sleep took over. Nick wanted to fall asleep every night like that, in the afterglow of glorious sex, a beautiful woman clutching him to her, hair tickling his skin, the smell of flowers and coconut and sweat surrounding him.

That's when it dawned on him that all he wanted was to spend _more_ time with Jess. One night simply wasn't enough.

"Ugh, Nick, she's just some random chick you met in a bar. She's not your freaking soulmate."

Nick rolled his eyes as Schmidt banged cupboards and drawers looking for whatever green tea herbal infusion shit he liked to drink. "Schmidt, I'm telling you man, this girl was different. She was so…bright." He grimaced at his choice of words.

Winston raised his eyebrows over his cup of coffee. "Aren't you supposed to be the next Hemingway? Bright, really?"

Nick shook his head, glaring at the kitchen island. "Look, I don't expect you guys to understand because you weren't the ones in bed with her last night-"

"Well, if you'd let us know maybe we…" Schmidt started with a smirk, but soon trailed off at the disgusted looks Nick and Winston were giving him.

"Three guys, one girl Schmidt? What is wrong with you? You need to think before you speak son," Winston shot at him, appalled.

"Anyway," Nick cut in, annoyed now. His roommates were worse than squabbling siblings. "You guys don't get it. She was different. I mean, she didn't do or say anything different than the other girls, but I just got a whole other vibe. We had sex and she left but…it wasn't just sex, y'know?" he pondered for a moment, sipping his coffee, trying to find the right words. Dammit, he was a goddamn writer and no one was gonna tell him otherwise. "We had a connection." He eventually settled for.

Schmidt scoffed, and Nick knew it was because he had heard all of this before, countless times. And Nick got it: Schmidt was worried. He was worried Nick was going to grow fond of Jess, try to mold her into the person he was so desperately trying to fill his empty heart with. She was going to like him, at first, and then she was going to find his empty bottles, the moldy pizza under his bed, the towel on the bathroom rack that smelled like a rotten burrito. And just like all the others, she was going to leave. She would be cautious and kind about it, but she would leave him, and Nick would slowly revert back to his damaged self once more.

"Well, if you think she's something special I think you should go look for her." Winston announced to the table. Schmidt whipped round, eyes widening in a warning look. Winston had been Nick's childhood friend back when they thought girls had diseases, and then Nick had hit puberty and gone to college and Schmidt had taken over, watching him fall apart over and over at the hands of Caroline. Winston may have thought he knew Nick best, but when it came to women Schmidt was absolutely in his element.

"No." he said flatly. Winston glared at him.

"Come on man. He likes this girl. He's just fucked her in the dark and she's left and he still wants to see her again."

"Winston, this is _Nick_ we're talking about. There are a million ways this could go down, and they all have one common denominator – the word _disaster_."

"I'm literally right here guys!" Nick snapped, standing up. "I get it, I'm a mess, I'm fucked up. This girl thinks she's messed up too, I could tell. Well, maybe we're supposed to find each other and clean up each other's mess, okay? I'm good at fixing things, it's one of the very few things I'm good at. I've made a decision. I'm going to find her and I'm gonna ask her out."

Winston slapped a hand on the table in triumph, standing and giving Nick an enthusiastic high-five. "That's what I like to hear."

Schmidt sighed. "All right, okay. Do what you want. Winston, I'm appointing you head shoulder for when Nicholas here needs one to cry on." He started to stalk back to his room, but stopped briefly at the doorway, taking a step back to turn and look at the two of them. "Good luck though. I mean it." He shot Nick a small smile. "I'll wash your towels for you."

With that, he shut his door behind him, and Nick couldn't help but laugh. Schmidt was a royal douchebag, but he had a heart of gold.

Entering his bedroom again, he cast his eyes over the small space. Last night's clothes were still strewn over the floor, and he picked up the shirt, passing his fingers over the loose thread where his button had snapped off. Suddenly, he felt empty again. He couldn't sew buttons onto things, that's what a girlfriend was supposed to do. She was supposed to sigh dramatically and roll her eyes and say something about a feminist world and he was supposed to stop listening because she was too damn pretty when she was mad. Instead he was stupidly touching his shirt and wondering whether he should throw it in the trash or just wear it without the button because if he was honest, he was running out of decent clothes and really couldn't afford new ones.

Something caught his eye, and he placed the material to one side, squinting at it. It glinted under the bed where Jess had slept, and as he drew closer he realized it was a piece of jewelry. A necklace. It must have slipped off her neck while they were pawing at each other.

Picking it up, Nick sank into his desk chair. The chain was tiny and delicate, a curved 'J' at the bottom. Definitely Jess'. He placed the thing in the palm of his hand, watching the silver pool together in the grooves of his skin. He had no idea how he was going to find her. She had left him absolutely nothing but this necklace.

Rubbing a hand tiredly over his face, Nick closed his fist around the chain, swivelling round in his chair to face his desk and opening his laptop. Some research was in order.

As he scrolled helplessly through Facebook, webpages, Google images, he found nothing, and it was starting to seriously piss him off. Jess was a total enigma. With a frustrated groan, he pushed away from the desk, unable to shake the memory of her crying out his name, her hair fanned out over the pillow. "What are you doing to me Jess," he muttered to himself, pushing his knuckles into his eyes.

When he opened them again, his eyes fell on the dog-eared notebook by his desk lamp. He cocked his head slightly to the side. His unfinished novel, the one he had been trying to write since the day Caroline left him. Writer's block had consumed him, and it had been abandoned for at least a week now. Nick reached out and pulled the book towards him, flipping through the pages. Nothing about Julius Pepperwood and his zombie case came to mind, but a whole array of other images suddenly assaulted his brain – undressing Jess. Her tongue running over those red lips. Her skin under his hands. The look on her face when she came beneath him.

It was like a light bulb went off over his head. Placing the book hastily to one side, he closed the browser on his laptop and opened a Word document. He wasn't sure what he was doing, but his fingertips were itching to tap furiously away at the keyboard. He started to write.

* * *

Jess was tapping her foot nervously against the side of Cece's breakfast bar, her eyes fixed on the clock above the kitchen sink. She hadn't seen her best friend in two days, and Jess was fairly sure they weren't speaking.

When Jess had left that bar with Nick, she had left Cece. Cece had been alone in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by a large amount of sexually frustrated men, who had clearly all spotted her sipping obliviously on a pink straw. Only after Jess had returned to the apartment the next day to find her missing did it dawn on Jess that she had done a very stupid thing. Cece would _never_ have left Jess in a bar by herself. It was just about number one on the Best Friend Don'ts List.

Sipping her now cold tea, Jess tried to quell the churning in her stomach. She had eventually managed to find out where her best friend had been – with a man, of course – but since then Cece had been working constantly, and the two women hadn't crossed paths at all despite the fact that they lived together. Worry gnawed away at Jess' insides. She knew going home with Nick was a bad idea.

The sound of the door opening made her jump out of the bar stool, her tea spilling slightly. "Cece!" Jess cried as the beautiful brunette paused at the doorway, eyebrows raised. "I am so sorry I left you on New Year's, I was so drunk and stupid and this guy, he took me home and it was just, wow, the best sex I've ever had and I completely forgot about everything, including you and even myself at one point because I pretty much floated out of my body and was watching from above, as creepy as that sounds but what I'm trying to say is-"

Cece's laugh stopped her mid-rant. Jess straightened up, eyes wide. "What I'm trying to say is I'm sorry and I love you and I'm a bad friend."

Cece dropped her purse on the couch, approaching Jess and pulling her into a hug. "I know you are sweetie. I forgive you."

Stunned, it took Jess a few seconds to return the embrace. "You do? Just like that?"

"Well, I've had a few days to stew about it, so I guess I'm okay now." She shrugged, heading for the coffee machine. "Besides, I think you might have needed a good lay to get the-guy-who-will-not-be-mentioned out of your head."

Jess frowned, confused. "Voldemort?"

"Spencer," Cece replied, bemused.

"Oh. Yeah." Jess looked at her slipper-clad feet. "Jerk."

"Anyway," Cece said as she poured out some coffee, "my night was a bust. The guy turned out to be this huge Pokemon fan and basically made me watch the films with him. Did you know there are ten Pokemon films?" she said, turning to her, aghast. "Like, is that Ketchup dude a vampire or immortal or what? He's been about 14 years old _forever_."

Jess flopped down in her seat again, smiling. "But, less about me, I wanna hear about this amazing sex you had." Cece continued, joining her at the island.

Jess took a deep breath. "It felt like it was…just, exactly what I needed. It's hard to explain Ceec. But it was dirty. Tiger-Boobs had nothing on whoever I was that night."

Cece grinned, raising her mug to her lips. "This Nick guy, he just _took _me. We barely introduced ourselves before we were all over each other. It was pure instinct with him. No fluff, just raw animal magnetism."

"That's called fucking, Jess," Cece said simply, making Jess nearly choke. "You had to experience it one day."

Jess stared at her. She had expected to be horrified at the filthy way Cece was describing it, but instead, she seemed to be agreeing with it. Now Cece had said it out loud, it fit perfectly. That's what it was. And she quite liked that fact that it had happened to her. In fact, she wanted more.

"Did you get his number?" Cece asked.

"Huh?" Jess said, momentarily distracted by memories of his rough hands, the noises he made in her ear while they were rocking against each other. "What did you say?"

Cece laughed. "His number. This Nick guy. Did you get it?"

"Uh, no. I left as soon as I woke up." Jess remembered her thought process as she sneaked out of his apartment. She had been unhappy that night, the mixture of alcohol and rejection fresh in her bones. She might even venture that she hated men that night. She hated what they did to her. She hadn't wanted to stick around and wait for Nick to wake up, see the disappointment in his eyes when he registered that she was still there, hear the lame excuses he made in order to get her to leave. _I have work. Oh, look at the time, we better be getting up. I'll call you, okay. I'll definitely call you_.

"Well, well. Jessica Day, screwing and leaving since 2014." Cece teased. Jess laughed and shrugged. "Don't worry babe, you'll find another guy who can blow your mind that way. It might take a while, and a few faked orgasms, but you'll find him eventually." She stood and patted Jess on the back, heading for her room, leaving Jess perched on her seat, a strange feeling in her chest.

After a while, Jess thought about getting dressed. Worrying about her situation with Cece had expended all of her efforts, and now she knew they were okay it was probably a good idea to get out of her pajamas. Opening her closet, she picked out a dress and tights and laid them carefully on her bed. The dress she was wearing when Nick took her was lying forlornly on top of her laundry pile. She sighed, staring at it. God, she wanted to have sex again. Mind-blowing sex, she realized, had this amazing tendency to do the complete opposite of satisfying her. She was already craving it again. And she wanted it with Nick.

Huffing angrily, Jess realized she was kind of turned on just thinking about it. This stupid man had made his mark on her, branded her. She felt different now. She was a different woman – her thoughts were dirtier, her desires heightened. She rubbed a hand absentmindedly over the skin of her stomach under her pajama top. _Great_, she thought as goose bumps prickled on her arms. There was only ever one thing she could do in these situations.

Crossing the room to her laptop, she opened it, typing a web address into the browser at the top of her screen. When she was frustrated like this, Jess liked to read. She liked to read about love and struggle and people finding their way to each other, but most of all she liked to read about sex. In particular, the people she had been rooting for having sex. It was romantic and beautiful, and sexy, and it made the process of touching herself better, her senses enhanced.

This time, however, Jess wanted to read something dirty. She wasn't even ashamed of it. Who was going to know, really? She scrolled through her favorite website, looking for the right section. Jess hated porn, it was gross and sexist and just plain unrealistic, but she loved literotica. It was sensual and lovely. And women didn't have to exploit themselves to make it possible.

Sinking into her chair, she looked at some of the stories posted on there. She was pretty riled up with thoughts of Nick, so she needed a quick fix and then a cold shower. Looking for short stories, she found one under the username _JPEPPERWOOD_. Shrugging slightly, she opened it. It sounded pretty suited to her needs.

_She was looking at him, just looking, with those gorgeous blue eyes and that cleavage spilling out of her dress. Julius had never seen anything so desirable in his life. No other woman compared to her, and as she swirled the tip of the pen between lips that just begged to be bitten and sucked, he nearly came right there and then. Miss Knight was his for the night, and he knew it. Tossing waves of sweet smelling hair over her shoulder, she batted her eyelashes under those thick frames. Sweet as candy at work, dirty and wild after hours._

Leaning back in her chair, Jess drew in a sharp breath. Yes. This was exactly the type of thing she was looking for. _JPEPPERWOOD_ knew how to get her going. She let a small smirk pass over her face as she untied the soft ribbon of her pajama bottoms, slipping a hand inside and continuing to read.

When she was in the shower afterwards, she thought about what she had just read. It had been hot, and sexy, and meaningful. Even when she had let her head loll back, her fingers stroking her into release as she silently moaned, she had still wanted to read it again, glowing from the aftermath of a great orgasm. The writing was amazing. It drew her in. She wanted to know what happened to this man's mysterious girl, Knight. It had just ended, and she found herself pouting, hoping for another paragraph.

As she toweled herself dry, her reflection foggy in the misted mirror, Jess thought about how the story had made her feel, and she came to a decision. Going back to her still open laptop, she clicked on the small envelope icon by _JPEPPERWOOD'_s profile picture, a zombie priest. She didn't really get it, but whatever. She didn't understand why people didn't just use their own photos like her profile picture, of her smiling and holding an ice cream. No one could see what she had read anyway.

Settling herself on her bed in her towel, hair dripping on the keyboard, Jess typed out a message.

_Hi JPepperwood!_

_You don't know me, but my name is Jess and I just read your 'One Night with Knight' story and thought it was really powerful. I wanted to let you know, I think you're a great writer. I was really drawn to your characters, and the way you wrote their love scene was both passionate and surprisingly sweet at the same time, like something happened between them, something amazing. Anyway, I hope you don't mind me messaging you. I just thought we could chat, since I admire your work._

_Eagerly awaiting more of your writing,_

_Jess x_

Lying on his messy bed, laptop open beside him, Nick couldn't quite believe his luck.


	3. Chapter 3

**MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE/CHRISTMAS! Hope Santyclaus brings you lots of lovely gifts and that the food is good and also that your family does not get too drunk or kill each other over a game of trivial pursuit. Ho ho ho!**

Alone: Chapter 3

_From: JPEPPERWOOD_

_To: HelloGiggles_

_JPEPPERWOOD: Hey Jess, that isn't a problem at all, I'd love to talk to you. I'm glad you liked what I wrote, I don't usually write that kind of thing but, let's just say I was inspired. So, what do you want to talk about? JP._

_HelloGiggles: JP, is that what you want me to call you? Mysterious. Okay, well I guess you could tell me how you got into writing? I'm a teacher and I love the English Language, even if I do teach it to middle-schoolers! What do you do when you're not writing? Jess x_

_JPEPPERWOOD: I think JP should be my pseudonym, don't you agree? I don't like to give my name out over the Internet, y'know…spies and stuff. I don't know to be honest, I think I liked the idea of writing more than the actual writing part, I have a lot of facial hair and I drink a lot, so I fit the stereotype. A teacher, impressive! I'm a bartender, not as impressive unfortunately. Whereabouts are you from, Jess? JP._

_HelloGiggles: Spies and stuff! You're funny. Don't say bartending isn't impressive, I think it can be a real art, and I admire you for it. I'm from Portland but live in LA, near the baseball stadium. What about you? Jess x_

_JPEPPERWOOD: Oh, well, thanks for saying that. I hail from Chicago, but I'm pretty near you, I live near Chinatown. JP._

_HelloGiggles: Wow, that's super close! JP, wouldn't it be weird if we had already met? Like, maybe I bumped my shopping cart into yours at the grocery store or something. It's very possible, I'm always bumping into things. I'm kind of a walking disaster! Anyway, I have to go, but we should do this again!_

_Hope to hear from you soon,_

_Jess x_

* * *

"Holy fucking shit guys, it's her."

Nick twisted around, trying to collect himself. What the hell was she _doing_ here? "Did she see me?" He asked as he placed his hands flat on to the shiny surface of the bar, calming his thoughts. She still made his palms clammy, even now.

Winston and Schmidt shared a look. "What are you talking about, man?"

"Jess, you morons. That's her over there – polka dot dress, brown hair, blue eyes."

"You mean the innocent-looking one? _She's_ the one who turned your world upside down in a sexual frenzy?" Schmidt asked, incredulous as he stared at her. "She looks like she can't bring herself to say the word _penis_."

Nick shot a quick glance at her over his shoulder. Yet again, she was stunning. Her hair was tied back in that messy way girls could achieve that Nick was constantly in awe of, tendrils of hair coming down all around her face as she tipped her head back, laughing delightedly at something her friend was saying. Schmidt couldn't see it. He could only see the innocent side of that woman because he didn't know what it was like to be beneath her, watching her take control of him, using him to get what she wanted. Suddenly, Nick wanted to be the one to make her throw her head back in ecstasy. "Yeah," he said, his voice a little gruff. "That's her."

Winston watched her raise her champagne flute to her lips, taking a delicate sip. "No, I get it. She's not the type you usually bring home. She must be different."

"_She_ wanted _me_ that night. She called _me_ over guys." As he said those words, memories of that night flooded his brain once more. He found himself occasionally and without warning consumed with thoughts of Jess, brought on by little triggers like a particularly hot shower, or the smell of whiskey when he was making drinks at the bar. They made him dizzy with desire, frustrated that he couldn't have what he wanted and it was totally his fault.

Nick hadn't told his roommates about his online friendship with Jess. He couldn't bring himself to tell anyone, and he knew it was because he didn't have a fucking clue what he was doing. She had sent him that message and he had replied, signing with those stupid initials, and then he had just…carried on talking to her, leaving out the part where he said _oh, by the way, my real name is Nick and I'm the guy who took you home and screwed your brains out a couple of nights ago. Oh, and in case you were wondering, Miss Knight is you, Jess. Way to go, you inspire the erotic fiction writer in me. Would you like to go on a date with me sometime?_

"Whose engagement party did you say this was, Winston?" Schmidt asked as Nick signalled for another drink, one hand over his eyes.

"Nadia's. She's the model, remember? I met her on a photo shoot for the team in Latvia. She was one of the sexy cheerleaders. When we found out we were both moving to LA we swapped numbers, and now we're here."

"She must know Jess somehow," Nick said through gritted teeth, raising the bottle of Heisler to his lips. "I can't believe she's here. I don't know what I'm supposed to do, she's gonna see me."

Winston raised his eyebrows as Nick took another swig. "Here's a crazy idea. Why don't you go over there, say hello, and ask her out like you originally planned? Didn't you want to find her again?"

"Yeah, but not…not like this. I'm not ready."

"Oh for Pete's sake Nick, it's just a girl, what are you, twelve?" Schmidt snapped, throwing his hands in the air. "Stop being so melodramatic, that's my role."

Nick furrowed his eyebrows, taking another sip. His roommates wanted to help him – they wanted him to be happy, and he knew their advice was given with good intention. But Nick's problem was that as much as this woman intrigued him, plagued his thoughts, made him feel different to the others, all he could think about was having sex with her. He wasn't sure he could even ask her out without making a fool of himself, and even if he did, he'd never make it through the date. He didn't want to offend Jess, because she deserved someone who treated her right, and there was no way in hell she had been thinking about him that way. She had put on a front that night, a shield. They had come together because they needed each other to numb the pain. Nick hadn't expected it to get this out of control so quickly, but it had, and now, as he watched her push her bangs out of her eyes, he wondered if it might be best to leave her alone. Maybe you could have too much of a good thing.

And yet, he didn't know what it was, but this girl was magnetic. She was here, and so was he, just like the first time. Nick wanted her around, and the thought of being alone was now a hundred times worse, now that he knew _alone_ really meant _without the beautiful brunette with the sad eyes and the dirty mouth_.

"Alright, I'm gonna go over there."

Gripping his beer tightly, he started to make his way through the throngs of people crowding the room. The party was elegant, taking place in a hotel fancy enough to make Nick feel uncomfortable, beads of sweat peppering his forehead. Guests milled about, chatting and drinking expensive drinks from the free bar. Nick had fully intended to make the most of it, but now he wasn't so sure. Maybe if everything fucked up in two minutes time when he reached her, he would return to the bar and spend the rest of the night there, getting reacquainted with his pal, Jack Daniels.

Jess had her back slightly turned to him, and was saying something to a very attractive woman, one hand clutching her champagne. "Cece! I can't believe you just said-"

She turned towards him as Nick stepped round her, the smile instantly slipping off her face. It was replaced with something else. Was that…fear? He couldn't help but let his eyes flick down to her chest as it heaved a little, her breath catching ever so slightly in her throat.

"Nick." She said. It wasn't a greeting, or even a question. It was a statement, and she said it so breathlessly that Nick had to take a moment to collect his thoughts, replays of her crying out his name in that same tone instantly all he could think about. Maybe this had been a bad idea after all.

He didn't trust himself to say anything to her, in case it came out jumbled, or worse, honest. Because if he was being honest, he would choke out something like _I can't stop thinking about you, or your body, or your lips, or your hair all around my face. I just want more, Jess. Please, just give me more._

So he smiled at her, and she returned it as her friend seemed to vanish into thin air. "You know Nadia?" she asked, looking a hell of a lot like she was in the same boat as him. "She's my roommate. Kind of hard work if you ask me."

Nick laughed, and the tension eased a little, although he could swear she was breathing a little heavier than normal. "Yeah, I don't really know her. My roommate knows her. I wouldn't usually come to one of these things, but there was an open bar, so…" his grin faltered as she tipped her head back, letting out a giggle. Did she even know what she was doing to him? Was she doing it on purpose? He couldn't figure it out, but one thing he knew for certain – he wanted to be in her proximity, and it seemed like she felt the same. Nick wondered if they would always be this naturally drawn to one another.

"Do you wanna get some air?" he asked suddenly, barely managing to get the words out. It was downright embarrassing how much he was struggling. Cocking her head to the side, Jess looked at him for a few moments. He knew what she was thinking. _Get some air_ sounded like a pathetic excuse, and they both knew it. But she nodded and turned towards the patio doors, letting Nick place his hand tentatively at the small of her back as they walked.

They were moving into very dangerous territory, Nick thought as they passed through the doors and made their way down the steps, heading for the walled courtyard outside of the hotel. Nick wanted to be alone with her, but he was afraid of doing or saying something stupid and losing her for good. She felt nice under his hand. Warm, soft. Inviting.

"Listen, Nick," Jess started again as they strolled slowly through pretty flowerbeds, both unsure of what to say, "I, ah…I hope you don't hate me for leaving the other week. I'm really sorry, I just…don't usually do stuff like that, y'know?" she looked up at him with those big eyes. "Actually, I've never done anything like that. With you it was…" she trailed off, looking away from him, a blush creeping up her neck. "Different." There was a hint of something in her voice, and he couldn't place it, but it was doing something strange to his heart rate as the smell of the flowers and the feel of the polka dotted material between his fingers assaulted his senses.

Suddenly, their proximity was too much to bear, and Nick wanted to kiss her. He wanted to kiss her so badly that he pushed away from her, taking a deep breath in through his nose. "Nick?" she asked again, confusion etched over her features. "Are you ever going to say something? Does this mean you hate me?"

"Did you like it?" he asked, the words leaving his mouth before his brain fully processed them. Jess was staring at him, shocked. The words had come out husky and strained. Nick ran a hand through his hair, looking at the ground, and then at her face. He wasn't sure what he was doing, but he felt hot all over and he couldn't handle being in limbo with her any more. He needed to either cool down or succumb to the heat.

She looked at him for a long time, worrying her lip between her teeth. "Yes," she eventually said. She swallowed, Nick following the line of her throat with his eyes as it bobbed and flexed. "I loved it."

They remained in that position for at least a minute, or it could have been an hour. Nick lost track of time as he raked his gaze over her, taking in the flush of her chest, the wild glint in her eye, the slack grip she maintained on her glass of champagne. He wanted so badly to step over that line. "I loved it, Nick." She repeated, this time more confidently. It was an invitation.

Nick took two steps towards her, dropping his Heisler as he did so. It was unbearable, being around her and not being able to touch her. He wanted to feel her silky waves between his fingers, her firm grip on his hair, those fucking fingernails. God, those fingernails were just heaven when she scraped them so tantalizingly over his skin.

She took a sharp intake of breath when he stopped before her, taking her face in his hands. Instead of kissing her, he eased her head backwards, bringing his face close to her ear. His breath was making those pieces of hair bounce and flutter, and he saw her close her eyes, barely holding back a moan. "I loved it too, Jess. I want you so much I can't think about anything else."

She really did moan then, turning her face to his and capturing his mouth with her own. Immediately he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her feverishly, a groan building up in his chest. Picking her up at the waist, he relished the feel of her legs wrapping around him, face pressed to his as he carried her to the closest thing he could find, a water fountain at near enough the right height. Nick registered in a small part of his brain that their location was quiet and concealed, and that they had deliberately ended up there – they both wanted it. They needed it.

He placed her on the ornate fixture, stepping as close as he could so she could keep her legs hooked around him. Nick didn't care if someone found them there. He didn't care about anything. He just wanted to lose himself inside of Jess as soon as possible. Just the thought of it made his cock strain against his pants. He heard the tinkling smash of the champagne flute hitting the ground.

"_God_," he choked out as Jess reached down and rubbed her hand firmly over him. "Jess, you're a fucking animal."

She laughed into his mouth. "Only with you. What are you gonna do with me?" with that, she pulled away and took his earlobe between her teeth, biting down gently. His hips jerked forward against her hand automatically.

Frustrated, Nick closed his eyes briefly. If he woke up now, alone in his bed, he would be devastated. He would be lying if he said his dreams hadn't been about situations similar to these – finding Jess and taking her, letting her have her way with him in bed, in the shower, against the wall. Against a fountain/bird bath/who the fuck cared was a new one, but as surreal as it was, Nick was desperate for it to be true. _Please don't wake up_, he thought to himself.

Jess' fingers were fumbling with his belt, and as Nick came back to the present day he felt her slide it off him and throw it to the ground, peppering his neck with kisses and gentle bites. Nick had just about had enough. He needed her, now. He couldn't wait.

Helping her with his pants, he unfastened them before impatiently pushing her dress further up her legs, lifting her to pull down her panties and slip them over her legs. He looked at her as if to say _is this okay?_ And she nodded, her eyes dark and cloudy. That was all he needed. He slipped a hand between the folds of her dress, his fingers finding her clit as she gasped and clutched at his hair. He stroked her slowly, deliberately, using his other hand to pull the strap of her dress down and kiss her shoulder as she cried out quietly into his ear. He couldn't do this much longer. He didn't know how much he could take.

"Now, please," she moaned against his skin. "I want you to fuck me now against this fountain, while our friends are in there looking for us."

Nick closed his eyes, willing himself to stay in control. This tendency she had to come out with things as surprising as that was driving him insane. She was everything he could have asked for and more as he stared at her, all eyes and swollen lips and clothes hanging off her. He wanted to tell her she was beautiful, but it didn't seem like the right time. She didn't want words right now, she wanted action.

"Wait," he said, blinking a couple of times to clear his head. "We don't have a condom." In their lustful haze Nick had totally forgotten. The waves of disappointment started to build inside of his chest. If he couldn't have her now, there was no amount of alcohol at the open bar that would console him.

"I'm on the pill, just come here now, I need you." She panted, reaching into his boxers. Nick bit down hard on his tongue, resisting the urge to cry out as her hand wrapped around his cock, freeing it from its constraints and guiding him towards her. He pressed himself as close as he could to her body, breathing in the flowery scent around her as he entered her, watching her lips part, head thrown back, neck exposed. He'd made her do that, and he was just getting started.

He started to thrust, slowly at first, finding the right rhythm as she perched on the edge of the marble, legs wrapped around him. Jess was impatiently pushing against him. She wanted more. "Faster," she said, breathless. Nick obliged, placing his hand at the back of her neck as he picked up the pace, one arm wrapped firmly around her waist, pulling her against him. She started to make little noises in the back of her throat, and Nick took that as his cue to whisper something in her ear. She liked that, a lot.

He pushed deep inside her when his lips found her ear. "Tell me how much you love it."

She groaned, her nails digging into his scalp in that way that drove him absolutely crazy. "I love it, I want you all the time."

Satisfied, Nick let his hands rest on her hips, pulling away to thrust harder, faster as Jess let out a strangled noise, her hands gripping the edge of the fountain. "I can't stop thinking about making you come," he said breathlessly, her moans growing louder as he felt her body start to tense.

"I'm nearly there Nick, oh."

Nick leaned forward and pressed his mouth to hers, breathing heavily against her as he let her words wash over him. "Jesus, me too." He replied, the familiar feeling starting to build as she tightened around him.

"I wanna come with you," she panted, before letting out a cry of pleasure Nick was sure someone was going to hear. Digging her hands into his shoulders, she moaned, tensing and gripping him as she came undone, face contorted in ecstasy. It drove Nick over the edge. He released himself inside of her as he let out a quiet curse, going limp against her, resting his forehead on her bare shoulder with a deep breath. "Oh my God," he heard Jess whisper in his ear. He laughed softly, kissing her shoulder. What they had just done was insane, and it definitely wasn't a dream.

When they had caught their breath Jess drew away from him, beaming as she tugged affectionately on his tie, loose around his neck. They grinned at each other, any embarrassment they thought they would feel nowhere to be found. God, Nick liked this girl. A lot. He watched her slide off him, hopping down from the fountain and finding her panties. She was something special.

"Uhm," Nick cleared his throat. "That was incredible. I think I just found my new favorite hobby."

She laughed, a tinkling laugh that tickled his insides. "Me too. I can't believe we just…" she pursed her lips, eyes sparkling. "But I'd like to do that again." When Nick nodded in silent agreement she turned away shyly. He could tell she was reeling from what had happened, and he knew the feeling. The passion between them seemed to overrule everything else, including rational thought.

"I hate to cut this short, but…" she gestured down at herself. "This is kinda messy, so I'm gonna head back inside and sort myself out."

"Sure." Nick watched as she patted her hair down. He wasn't going to lie, her hair was shit. He had tugged and pulled at it, consequences not at the forefront of his mind. Briefly, he wondered what he must look like. As he zipped up his pants and found his belt, he ran a hand over his shirt. They were both kind of a mess, and he loved it. He didn't care one bit. "Hey," he said as she started to walk away. She turned to him, expectant, beautiful. "You could take my number, if you wanted. I would take yours, but my battery died." He winced at how unconvincing that sounded. He was glad she didn't know how much of a useless human being he was.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, laughing at herself. "Of course, your number. I would like that." She smiled at him.

"Alright. Okay." He took the phone she handed to him, quickly tapping out the number. When she left, still wearing that shy smile, he turned and leaned against the water fountain, letting himself grin like an idiot now that he was alone. This was what Nick Miller knew so far - he had just had sex with someone in an abandoned courtyard at a fancy engagement party, and she had loved it as much as he did. Whatever was happening here, Nick didn't _ever_ want it to end.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi there! Chapter 4 is done. For those of you who were wondering, Nick does not write any more stories about Jess. Thought I'd clear that up now. :) Thank you Ztofan for all your help!**

Alone: Chapter 4

_JPEPPERWOOD: Hi Jess, how was your weekend? Sorry about being offline last night, I know Tuesdays are usually good for you to talk. JP._

_HelloGiggles: Hey JP! That's fine, I kept myself occupied with a Walking Dead marathon. It's been okay, living with my best friend and her model roommates sometimes takes its toll on me though. I've never asked you…Do you live alone? You probably have a girlfriend or wife or something right? You must have some inspiration for that story ha! Jess x_

_JPEPPERWOOD: The Walking Dead is my favorite; Rick and Daryl have a pretty beautiful bromance, amiright? Funny of you to think that, I don't live alone and I don't have a girlfriend, I am a single white male with roommates…in a hot way. They're definitely not models though. JP._

_HelloGiggles: It's so good! But I have to watch it with all the lights on and a pillow over my face. I'm trying to imagine what you look like based on our previous conversations. I'm thinking something along the lines of a bearded BJ Novak? Am I close? Jess x_

_JPEPPERWOOD: I'd like to compare myself to someone a little more manly. A Clive Owen or young Mark Ruffalo maybe? I think I'm getting a little ahead of myself there, but I'd prefer you to think of me as weathered and handsome, you think you could do that Jess? JP._

_HelloGiggles: I think I could do that! Well in that case, you should think of me as Catherine Zeta-Jones-beautiful, because I totally am. Jess x_

_JPEPPERWOOD: I don't doubt that you are. I'm sure you're gorgeous, Jess. JP._

Jess sat back on her bed, resting her chin on her hand. She was pretty sure she and _JPEPPERWOOD_ were flirting, and she didn't know how she felt about it. One the one hand, this was a stranger she had met online, an erotic fiction writer no less. He could be a total creep in real life, and Jess was guessing he wasn't a young Mark Ruffalo, just like she certainly wasn't a Catherine Zeta-Jones. On the other hand, though…he was funny, and sweet. From their previous conversations she now knew they were of similar age and lived near each other, so there was no reason they couldn't meet – eventually. Jess didn't want to push this man into anything, especially if he turned out to be the stalking type.

Shutting the laptop with an audible _snap_, she rolled over to face the wall, curled up in a ball in her favorite blue pajamas. Sighing, she reached for her book on the bedside table, determined to push _JPEPPERWOOD_ from her mind. It was rude of her to stop talking to him so abruptly, especially after his flirty and probably risky reply, but she was tired of overthinking things and when her brain started to act up like this, the best thing for her to do was cut and run.

That's why she had never called Nick. His number was still in her phone but every time she thought about calling him she remembered the way she felt when she turned and saw Spencer standing in their apartment with someone else. From the moment she and Nick had locked eyes in that bar there had been a burning desire between them, and Jess had never had that before. Her relationship with him, if she could call it that, was about satisfying a need, whether that was for sex or for a temporary companion. It wasn't about friendship, or love. And it certainly wasn't about finding someone to replace Spencer.

Jess would be lying if she said she didn't want Spencer back. She would never, ever forgive him for cheating on her, and for that reason they couldn't give it another go even if they wanted to, but Jess just missed the old Spencer, the one who used to take her for picnics and give her Tibetan massages when she'd had a particularly stressful day at work. She wanted him back. She wondered if she was encouraging her online friendship with _JPEPPERWOOD_ because she was sick of being lonely. Or maybe it was because she needed to prove to herself that she was not a romantic failure.

Realizing that she had been reading the same sentence of her book over and over and making no progress whatsoever, Jess forced herself into a seated position, placing the book page-down on the bed. Stretching her spine a little, she stood and left her room, making her way to the kitchen. When all else failed, tea usually helped. She didn't usually like drinking tea this late in the evening but her mind was so occupied with thoughts of hands on her waist and marble against her skin and a young Mark Ruffalo smiling at her and saying nice to finally meet you that she was in dire need of a cup of something sweet and hot to soothe her rattling heart rate.

Something within her had been ignited that day at the bar on New Year's Eve. She was not a promiscuous woman – quite the opposite, in fact. She wouldn't even use the word _sexy_ to describe herself, until that night. When Nick's eyes had met hers, she had formed some sort of racy alter ego with hypersensitive senses and a one-track mind. She was a sensual woman who could take control and use a man to get what she wanted, and what she wanted right now was to lose herself in that feeling of power once more. Her fingers twitched atop the counter as she rested against it, trying to catch her breath as memories of their time together clouded her vision.

What she needed was to be on her own right now. She didn't need a man to complete her, especially when all she knew based on her last relationship was lies and disappointment. She wasn't a work in progress that needed to be finished. She was a strong, independent woman who needed nothing but her career and her friends. And sex. She was going to have sex because she damn well wanted it, and no one was going to stop her.

Her phone was charging by the TV, and she picked it up as the water boiled, unlocking it and searching through her contacts until she found his number. She barely knew anything about him, but what she was fully aware of was that they had phenomenal sex. She wasn't going to run the risk of getting hurt by going out with Nick. She was going to ask him for a booty call, satisfy her craving and then tell him to leave before he had the chance to worm his way under her skin.

* * *

Nick couldn't believe she had left him hanging like that. His subtle flirting had been a long shot, but it had taken guts and she had basically shot him down. Sure, that wasn't as bad as hiding your true identity and lying, but it was still enough to provide a minor blow to his ego.

He flicked through the TV channels, still a little buzzed from his shift at work. He had finished earlier than usual, and had come straight home rather than stay for his usual post-work drink with Big Bob, intent on starting another conversation with Jess. It had become somewhat of a necessity for him to communicate with her at least three times a week, and Nick tried not to think too much about it, because the truth made him feel like a very sad, embarrassed man.

He craved Jessica. Every day he thought about her, what she was doing, imagining her teaching her class wearing those thick frames and a low-cut blouse. These thoughts usually led to painfully vivid fantasies that needed to be followed through with some very careful attention from his right hand, and Nick hated it. He had stopped going to bars after the engagement party, unable to bring himself to talk to any beautiful women, knowing that they wouldn't satisfy him the way Jess did. Some had approached him at work, determined and reckless with alcohol, more than willing to be accommodating, and some of them had even looked a little like her. But none of them had that hypnotising hold over him that _she_ did.

Even when she failed to call him, he hadn't stopped talking to her. It gave him some relief that she didn't know she was speaking to him, and therefore had no idea how hooked he was on her words and her lips and her moans. She obviously wasn't interested in pursuing anything with him, but Nick sometimes found himself wondering if that was what he had wanted after all. The only thing he was certain of was that he wanted to have sex with her again. Twice was not enough. He needed to know her, inside out, all her weaknesses and pressure points. He wanted her to beg him to touch her, so he could know she felt the same as he did about her.

He was way too wound up, once again, and angrily slapped the remote down on the couch next to him, accidentally changing the channel to some shitty housewives show. Growling in frustration, he pushed forcibly down on the power button, switching the screen off and resting his head on the back of the couch. How could _one fucking woman_ have such an overwhelming effect?

His phone vibrated in his pocket and he groaned, wondering who it could be this time. Big Bob telling him he'd forgotten the keys to the bar again, and please could he drive over and give him his? Or maybe Schmidt asking him not to forget to turn off the lamp by the window…or worst of all, Caroline, drunkenly texting him with empty promises and lies that she would withdraw faster than you could say _cold-hearted bitch_ in the morning.

Running a hand over his face, he dug in his pocket for the phone and held it up to his eye level, blinking rapidly at the bright light assaulting his retinas.

_Hi Nick, it's Jess, from the engagement party. This might sound bad, but…do you want to come over? I think I need a repeat. X_

He stopped breathing.

* * *

It had been ten minutes. Ten agonizing minutes since she had texted him. Jess was starting to wish she had the ability to turn back time, instead choosing to leave her phone where it was, read her book and not sexually accost the guy she screwed twice and then never spoke to again.

She collapsed backwards on her bed, groaning into her palms. "What have you done, Day?" she mumbled against her hands, squeezing her eyes shut against the embarrassment. She'd let herself be spontaneous for once, and now she looked and felt like a complete idiot, her text displayed forlornly over the screen as no reply came.

She looked at the alarm clock by her bed: 10:43. He could be asleep, or have a job that required a night shift. There could be a number of reasons why he wasn't getting back to her, and it didn't have to be because she had scared him away with her advances. Jess didn't feel any better thinking about this.

Her phone buzzed and she sat up so fast her head spun for a few seconds as she adjusted to the new position. The bright screen of her phone lay tantalizingly at the end of her bed, beckoning her. With a deep breath, she reached for it.

_What's your address? X_

He was coming over. Jess threw her phone down on the bed, grinning and pressing her fingers into her eyes. He was coming over to have sex with her. She couldn't decide whether she was elated or terrified. She felt a little of both as she texted him the address and swung her legs off the bed, heading for her dresser to fix her hair and makeup. She didn't feel the need to change clothes – she was only going to take them off the second he got there anyway. Momentary awkwardness enveloped her as she caught sight of herself, clad in pjs with frogs on them, but she shook this thought away. She wasn't trying to impress him. He was hers tonight, not the other way around.

With new found confidence, she started to apply her makeup.

Ten minutes later she was seated at the kitchen island, nervously bouncing her foot up and down against the bar stool. Everyone was definitely asleep now, most of the models taking beauty sleep very seriously. Jess wasn't entirely sure how the booty call thing worked, the logistics of it, so instead she waited until she would be face to face with him to make a decision. Looking back at her previous encounters with Nick, Jess knew that any plan she had in mind would be irrelevant once their eyes met and his fingers touched her skin, so she decided to just roll with it.

A soft knock made her jump, eyes wide. She slid off the stool, padding quietly to the door and peeking through the peephole. It was him. From what she could see he was wearing a soft green t-shirt under his brown jacket, and jeans, and he was rugged, his hair sticking up at odd angles and day-old stubble on his chin. Jess felt a tingling sensation in her lower body – excitement and apprehension. He looked deliciously good.

She slowly opened the door, fixing her gaze on him as she stood to one side, letting him in. Once he was over the threshold and Jess had closed the door, they remained motionless, staring at each other, both unsure of what to say or do but clearly wanting to be closer.

Nick was swallowing thickly, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. Jess fixed her gaze on his neck, watching it move as he tensed his jaw, something Jess realized she found incredibly attractive on him. Her eyes travelled downwards and she felt her breathing become labored. She wanted him, but first she wanted to show him he was hers this time.

Circling round him and pushing him against the door as quietly as she could, Jess started to unfasten his jeans, enjoying the way his eyes widened at her proximity. "Jess…" he said, confused. She started to drop to her knees, never taking her eyes off him. "Wait, what are you doing?" he whispered. She didn't let his question faze her, reaching into his boxers as he let out a strangled hiss at her contact.

"What does it look like?" she replied, letting herself smirk a little at the dumbfounded and exceedingly turned on expression on his face. She gripped him gently as he grew harder at her touch, and immediately moved her lips to the tip of his shaft, swirling her tongue over it before she took him fully into her mouth.

Nick drew in a sharp breath, closing his eyes as he pressed his hands harder against the door behind him and tilted his head back. "Oh my God," he choked out breathlessly as she continued to pump him with her hand and lips, occasionally slowing to use her tongue in ways she didn't even know she was capable of. She was on her knees in her best friend's living room with her mouth around some guy she barely knew, eliciting noises from him that were starting to make her seriously wet. Alter-ego Jess was definitely the one in control right now.

She felt him clutch at her hair, groaning as she sped up the pace. "Fuck," he whispered, pushing his hand gently, almost subconsciously against her head, egging her on. Jess loved it. She never would have imagined she could unravel someone as much as she had with Nick. She had him in the palm of her hand. At the rate she was going, he would never turn down another invitation from her, ever.

He made a guttural noise in his throat, his head falling back against the door, mouth open as he came, Jess caressing him with her mouth until he was finished. Shutting her eyes and swallowing, she registered that it wasn't as painful or gross as she thought it was going to be. She felt dirty, in a very good way.

Nick was staring at her as she rose to her feet, and without thinking she ran the back of her hand over her mouth, never taking her eyes off his. If his eyes were dark before, they were practically black after that.

"Hi," she said eventually. Nick's gaze flicked from her mouth to her eyes, and he smiled a little, his own eyes glinting with excitement and satisfaction.

"Hi," he returned, running a hand through his hair. "Nice to see you again." They smirked at each other.

"I don't know where that came from, but I liked it." She stated, quietly. He gave a shocked laugh, reaching out and rubbing his thumb and forefinger over the thick material of her pajamas.

"Me too. Holy shit, Jess. I wasn't expecting that. You're amazing."

Shyly, she ducked her head, feeling suddenly nervous. She had been caught up in the moment, but now her thoughts were coming back to her, and she wanted to remain blissfully swept up in Nick's eyes and touch and hot words against her neck.

She stepped closer to him, looking up at his face. "My turn," she said slowly as she ran her hands up his arms and round his neck. He raised his eyebrows at her, his grin widening.

"I've got all night if you do." He replied, twisting a lock of her hair around his finger. She nodded. That wasn't true at all – she had school tomorrow and would be tired as hell, but it was worth it. She would just stick a movie on or something. Right now, all she wanted was Nick.

She pressed herself against him, letting his musky scent envelop her as they kissed impatiently, eagerly. Grasping the front of his shirt, she pulled him towards her room, only stopping to come up for air when both of them were dizzy. Nick's fingers were tugging at the buttons of her pajama shirt, desperately trying to either loosen them or simply snap them off. At this point, Jess didn't really care.

There was something there between her and _JPEPPERWOOD_, but for now, he could wait.


	5. Chapter 5

**So sorry about the wait guys, for this and The Basketcase. Work and other stuff gets in the way sometimes, but never fear, I love you guys all so much and it is 2.13AM here and I've come straight on here after work and fixed this up because you're all a bunch of beauts. Thank you for being so patient :) and I hope you like the chapter!**

**Ztofan really is the best. Um...have I mentioned that already?**

Alone: Chapter 5

It felt strange, waking up lying next to her. Nick's previous experiences with Jess had always resulted in a hasty departure on her part, leaving him with nothing but the images he had burned into his brain – her teeth, lips, fingers. Everything had been so rushed between them, and as he rolled over and saw her sleeping form next to him, it was quiet and peaceful. He debated skimming a hand over her shoulders, pressing his face into the crook of her neck and making her squirm with delight as she woke, but something stopped him. He didn't want her to wake just yet. She was beautiful, facing away from him, hands tucked neatly under her face as she slept. He felt like disturbing her would shatter this perfect moment.

The sex had been amazing, but that was nothing new. It was as if they were drawing a map of each other, constantly trying to find new places to explore and buttons to push. Nick liked to think of it as respect. They were equals, something that rarely happened in his opinion.

His moment of tranquillity was rudely interrupted when her alarm went off with a shrill ringing sound and her eyes shot open. They groaned in unison, neither of them feeling particularly well-rested after the night they'd had. Nick was not a morning person, and the harsh noise permeating his eardrums wasn't doing anything to brighten his mood. The girl next to him however, made his chest feel lighter as she turned and smiled an apology, one eye shut against the approaching day. "Sorry Nick. I have to go teach fifth graders."

"It's okay," he grinned, swiping at his eyes with his hand, "morning."

"I agree, there's no 'good' about it," Jess shot back, reaching for her glasses and slipping them on. Her dishevelled appearance made him swell with pride, remembering how she had called him hers last night as he pressed her into the bed and buried his face in her hair. "You want a coffee or something? Some toast?"

Nick considered politely refusing her, leaving as soon as he possibly could, but his head seemed to nod without his permission and then he was watching her slip out of bed, loosely buttoned pajama shirt rising to reveal the soft skin above her panties as she scratched her head, yawning. She tossed him his clothes, smiling shyly as he caught them at his chest.

He was in deep shit. Talking to this woman online under some kind of alter-ego and not telling her was starting to make him feel incredibly weird, and borderline creepy, but he had taken it past the point of no return now. He didn't want to stop seeing her, and he knew that would be the case if she found out.

He decided as they shuffled tiredly out of her room that he was going to stop speaking to her online, and then maybe, _hopefully_ he could still salvage something from this, even if it was just friendship with a side order of sex. It could be something they laughed about in a few years' time. He grimaced to himself as they approached the kitchen – who was he kidding? There was no mess-free way of getting out of his predicament. He had made his bed, as they say, and now he was fucking her in it.

"Hey…_oh_." The beautiful woman from the engagement party was perched on a stool by the kitchen island, flipping languidly through a magazine and blowing on a fresh cup of coffee. She had greeted Jess without looking up, only now noticing Nick behind her. "I didn't realize you had company last night."

Jess turned her head to grin at him again, her face half concealed by the mess of curls she was sporting this morning. "Yeah, sorry Ceec. This is Nick. Nick, Cece."

"Nice to meet you," Nick greeted a little gruffly, offering his hand for her to shake. She eyed him for a moment before taking it in her surprisingly firm grip, and Nick couldn't tell if she was pissed or amused. Women literally confused the hell out of him.

"How do you take your coffee?" Jess asked sweetly as she rolled the sleeves of her robe up to the elbow, picking up the pot. Nick noticed the row of quirky mugs behind the machine, each with unique and crazy designs plastered over them, including a moustache, a googly-eyed Judy Garland and one that simply had the words 'those who cannot do, teach!' stamped over it.

"Just black, thanks." He couldn't help but grin as she handed him a mug with a man coughing next to the letter 'E' on it. Cough-E. Coffee. The image tickled him slightly. This didn't go unnoticed by Jess, whose eyes lit up just a little when she realized he enjoyed her taste in crockery. Damn, those eyes. They could make him do just about anything.

Nick sipped his coffee in relative silence, observing as Jess and her friend Cece conversed happily about her most recent shoot. Cece asked him the occasional question, but Nick was grateful not to be dragged into the conversation. He enjoyed watching Jess in her element, cradling her mug of tea as she leaned over the island, eyes sparkling with the promise of juicy gossip. The way her lips pursed when she disapproved, the way she tilted her head to the side when she was worried, these were all things that Nick noticed and appreciated. He barely got to see this side of her, being so used to her moans and scratches and taste.

"Hey, I gotta go." The words left his mouth as soon as this thought registered in his brain. He nearly winced at the abruptness of the announcement, but he had realized that it was for the best if he left now. Falling for Jess was not on his to-do list, and he knew if he stayed he was in danger of developing the kind of feelings that would seriously confuse his situation with Caroline. That part of his life still wasn't over, and wouldn't be until he got the closure he was currently waiting for. Jess wanted him for the physical benefits, and even if that changed to something more, he couldn't give it to her in his shitty state of mind. He was still broken, the scars his ex-girlfriend left healing slowly and painfully.

And there was _JPEPPERWOOD_. Nick really didn't know what he was going to do about that.

Jess straightened, looking at him with those piercing eyes. "Okay," she said after a few seconds. "That's cool."

Sweet as she was, Nick knew when he wasn't wanted. Nodding, he placed his mug on the island, heading for the door. He was there for sex. She had specifically asked for sex. He needed to get that through his stupid thick skull.

As he was closing the door behind him he felt her warm hand on his wrist. It sent a jolt of electricity up his arm, surprising him.

"Nick," Jess said a little breathlessly behind him. He turned to the sound of her voice. She seemed to struggle for words for a few seconds, and then closed the space between them, her mouth finding his in that perfect rhythm the two of them had been working on since day one. Immediately his hands found her waist, fingertips digging into her skin through her robe and making her groan into his mouth. He wanted her again already. She had him in the palm of her hand.

She lifted her hands and gently pushed him away, swollen lips leaving his. "Don't be a stranger," she whispered, her fingers clutching at his jacket. "Let's do this again."

"Yeah," he replied hoarsely, his hands sliding up the fabric of her robe to rest on either side of her face. He pulled her in for one last kiss, filled with just as much need as all the others. His brain was doing overtime trying to figure out what he wanted, what she wanted, and it was starting to give him a headache. Maybe he should simply stop thinking about it and enjoy what was happening. That seemed to be one of his biggest flaws – overthinking things, needing answers.

He stepped away, smiling a little as she retreated into her apartment, giving him a small wave. "I'll call you." He managed to say before she shut the door. Breathing heavily through his nose, he ran a hand over his face. He hoped not thinking about it was a good idea.

* * *

"Jessica Day, don't you dare try to hide in your room!" Cece shouted, jumping up from her stool and chasing her through the living room as Jess hid her face, desperate to get away. She didn't feel like talking to Cece right now. It was embarrassing.

"I have stuff to do before school!" she shot back, taking a sharp right as Cece overtook her, planning to block the entrance of her bedroom. She ended up behind the couch, staring innocently up at Cece as she rested her hands on her hips. "I have to do some…filing."

"Sit." Cece pointed at the couch. Sighing with defeat, Jess flopped on to it, her best friend joining her. "So you're obviously not seeing this guy. What's going on?"

"What makes you think I'm not seeing him?" Jess asked, acting offended. Cece raised her eyebrows, bringing her fingers up to her face so she could count them off.

"Let's see. Because he left in a hurry, because you're still not over Spencer, because you had sex with him in broad daylight at a party and then never called him, because-"

"Oh alright, I'm not seeing him. No need to get so smart."

"Then what's going on, Jess? This isn't you."

Jess rested her head on the back of the couch, folding her arms. She really didn't know what was going on, but she knew she liked it, whatever it was. "Honestly, Ceec? I think we just have great sex. Like, incredible sex. Last night he did this thing, with the angle, and his fingers as well, and I think I actually floated out of my body."

"Well," Cece said, grimacing. "That was not a necessary piece of information to divulge."

"I know this isn't like me, but like you said I'm not over Spencer, and I so desperately want to be. I think Nick is the answer."

"You see, this is why I think it's a bad idea. You've already put him on a pedestal, Jess. You think he's going to save you."

Jess opened her mouth to disagree, but had nothing to say. Cece always seemed to know her better than herself. Cece took this as a sign to continue. "He's a man, okay? He doesn't know what you want from him, he just knows he wants to screw you. One time, or even twice is fine, but I know you, Jess. You get attached, you develop these expectations. You want sex now, but soon it won't be enough."

Huffing, Jess closed her eyes. What her friend was saying made a hell of a lot of sense. Nick was a good-looking guy, and he was nice. Those two traits combined with phenomenal sexual skills usually made for a pretty lethal concoction when it came to her heart. "But I don't want to give him up," she replied, her voice weak. "He's so good at it, it's like I'm addicted."

Cece chuckled, placing her hand on Jess' shoulder. "Look, honey, I'm not saying you should stop, it's completely your choice. I'm just telling you what I think. Out of curiosity, what makes it so good by the way?"

Jess thought about this for a second. "Well, he knows what he's doing, and he makes me feel like I can be whoever I want and not be embarrassed." She glanced at Cece, who gestured for her to continue. "And…" she thought back to last night, how he had locked her hands above her head and kissed the space behind her ear that felt like heaven. "And he's always so _there_. Like I'm everything in that moment."

Cece nodded, seemingly satisfied, and that's when Jess realized what her friend had been trying to achieve. She knew Jess would never start sleeping with someone at random, it would have to be something meaningful and emotionally satisfying. That's what Nick gave her. He treated her with care and affection, almost like they were…

"Whatever Cece, that is _not_ why I'm doing this," Jess snapped, fixing her gaze firmly on the floor. "I am an adult woman, and I like sex."

"Hmm," was all the beautiful brunette had to say, before she got up and left Jess to her now extremely tangled thoughts.

* * *

"Where have you been, man?" Winston asked as Nick entered 4D, tossing his keys on the table by the door.

"I heard you leave last night," Schmidt added, filling his thermos with the expensive coffee he liked. "Someone clearly had a booty call, am I right?" He and Winston high-fived, proud of themselves, as Nick scowled.

"That Jess girl, she texted me. Asked me to come over."

Schmidt and Winston stared at him. "And..?"

"And I slept with her, obviously. Don't," he started as Schmidt leaned over to high-five him. Schmidt retreated, pouting. "I'm just confused about what's happening. One second we're going at it, and then the next we're having some weird connecting moment, and then she's making me coffee, and then I'm feeling like I'm intruding and I have to leave."

"Ugh, I'm out," Schmidt announced, slapping the kitchen island and heading for the door. "I can't be dealing with your love life this morning Nicholas, I have important meetings. I need to be in a baller mood."

Both men made a face at Schmidt's back, before Winston fixed Nick with one of his _I'm here to help_ looks. "This chick is messing you up, Nick I think you should forget about her. You don't want another Caroline on your hands."

Nick groaned, placing his head in his palms. "I don't understand why I can't sleep with her without my brain muddling all my thoughts up about it. She seems to be able to do it just fine."

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Winston sighed, "but I think you should call Caroline. She's the reason you're this 'chubby, damaged flower' that Schmidt keeps talking about, you need closure."

"That's what I've been thinking."

"It might make you better with your feelings."

Nick considered this. He had thought he had his emotions pretty much in check, being able to go out and sleep with women who meant nothing to him before. Now, it was different. He had slept with Jess three times, and she wanted to keep doing it. He was going to have to rein it in, get some self-control. He was a goddamn _man_, and he could separate his brain from his penis if he damn well wanted to. "Okay, I'll call Caroline."

He thanked Winston and proceeded to his room, throwing himself heavily on to his bed. He was exhausted, but sleep wouldn't come. Not with thoughts of Jess and Caroline swirling around his head.

He remembered the way he used to feel when he was with Caroline. It started out amazing – they were in love. She met him outside class, jumping on him to smother him with kisses and ask him about his day. He spent the holidays at her parents', fishing with her Dad and lying out under the stars with her at night, listening to her ramble about constellations. They used to talk about how they wished they were each other's firsts. He was happy, and so was she.

But the cracks soon started to show when he went to law school. She stopped calling as much, she clammed up when he asked her about her day. Her voice started to take on a tone he soon recognised as boredom. He started hearing more and more about the guys at her work, the plans she had made for the summers she spent without him. She wasn't interested any more, and despite his ability for complete and unwavering denial, he knew eventually that she would end it. He simply didn't know this back and forth would go on for _years_ afterwards, effectively screwing him up almost beyond repair. He didn't want to be around someone who didn't know what they wanted. Jess knew what she wanted, and that was him. Between her legs, buried in her hair, whispering sweet filth into her ear.

Sighing, he pushed himself off his bed, opening his laptop and seating himself in front of it. Maybe some inspiration for Pepperwood would come today.

His laptop came to life, the bright screen displaying his conversation with Jess from the night before. He was about to close the browser when an idea suddenly struck. He opened his short story, staring at it.

Of course. Nick couldn't write his novel because there had been something missing. He hadn't noticed it before, but now it was blindingly obvious, and Nick knew what it was. Pepperwood needed an _assistant_. His story needed a heroine.

He quickly opened a Word document, typing with purpose for the first time in weeks. It felt liberating.

"_Well Miss Knight, you're the first woman interviewing today who has a beating heart, and I have to say it's good to see a friendly face."_

"_Likewise, Mr. Pepperwood."_

"_Please, call me Julius." Julius smiled at the brunette perched on the seat in front of him, legs crossed, lips pursed. She looked tense._

"_Well then, Julius, you must call me Jessica. I understand you're looking for an assistant, and if I may be so bold, I think I am the perfect woman for the job. I come from a strong background – my father was a policeman and my mother worked in the hospital for some time caring for the infected."_

"_I see." Julius leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands. "So you are aware of the risks. Not all zombies can be helped."_

_Jessica nodded, her face serious. She was rather beautiful in the glowing light from his desk lamp. "Yes. My sister, she…well, we lost her." She swallowed thickly, shaking her head slightly so that her bangs fell into her face. "I can't sit around Julius, while people die. I want to help the infected, I want to help their families." She fixed him with a steely glare. "And most of all, I want to find a cure for this bastard."_

_Julius regarded her for a long time, taking in the fire in her eyes, the way her chest rose and fell as she breathed heavily, determination written all over her face. "Well, as well as both being very much alive, I believe we have a lot in common. Congratulations, Miss Knight, you start Monday."_

Nick leaned back in his desk chair, cracking his knuckles. Finally, he had a story.


End file.
